Bela Bajaria, now one of the most influential figures in the entertainment industry as Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, has opened up about a pivotal moment in her career that initially felt like a devastating professional failure but ultimately became a transformative experience.

Before joining Netflix in 2016, Bajaria served as president of Universal Television. Despite a successful five-year tenure marked by notable achievements and strong industry relationships, her departure from the company came in the form of a very public dismissal. Speaking to CNBC, Bajaria described it as a “big public failure,” admitting that the aftermath was emotionally and mentally challenging.

Struggle In Personal And Professional Front

Bajaria said that in those first few months, it was really hard to process. She struggled to reconcile her personal worth with her professional identity, questioning whether her contributions and the relationships she had built had any lasting value. “All those amazing shows, all these great relationships I built; I treated people so fairly. We had a lot of success — it meant nothing,” she recalled thinking at the time.

Despite the initial emotional toll, Bajaria now looks back on the experience with a sense of gratitude. It turned out to be the greatest learning lesson, she said, stressing how the incident helped reshape her perspective on failure. She shared that the fear of being fired no longer holds power over her. She said that she is not scared of getting fired. “ It’s very liberating, actually.”

To her surprise, the industry’s response to her exit was overwhelmingly positive. Instead of the rejection she feared, Bajaria was met with support, encouragement, and new job offers. “I quickly realised, as the phone rang and I got job offers, and everybody reached out, and people were really supportive, it all mattered. The way I treated people, what I had done, the impact I left, it all mattered,” she said.

Today, with nearly a decade at Netflix under her belt, Bajaria’s career trajectory is a testament to resilience and reputation. She maintains pride in her journey, reflecting, “I knew I could always look at myself in the mirror and [think] I liked what I had done. I didn’t have any shame around what I did. I thought it was really a great, successful run,” she told the publication.